Bay Area Dance Week

Bay Area Dance Week, an inclusive celebration of movement and dance, returns in 2023 after a three-year hiatus. Over its 22 year history the Bay Area Dance community opened its doors and invited the public to experience its rich and vibrant dance scene, completely free of charge.

The Bay Area Dance Week festival aspires to offer something for everyone, regardless of experience, age, and ability. Over the years participants have been able to choose from workshops, performances, classes, open rehearsals, and more. Whether Bolivian folkloric dance, Tahitian dance, Ballet, Congolese Dance, Hula, Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop for adults and kids – this festival has hundreds of ways to discover your dance.

National Dance Week was founded in 1981 to increase awareness of dance and its contributions to our national culture. The first Bay Area Dance Week (BADW) festival grew out of a public dialogue in 1998, when dance artists, administrators, and organizations came together to explore how best to spotlight Bay Area dance during National Dance Week. The festival that emerged took a national initiative and imbued it with the innovative and inclusive spirit of the Bay Area. As the largest per capita center for dance in the United States, the Bay Area’s festivities have been the most extensive and best attended celebrations in the country since BADW’s inception. Each year, over 100 dance organizations and artists present events during Bay Area Dance Week, involving more than 2,500 artists and 20,000 attendees.

Bay Area Dance Week is presented by Dancers’ Group.